Just recently, while researching Aaron B. Koontz's CAMERA OBSCURA to review for a different site, I saw he was involved in a thriller/drama short called HONOR STUDENT. I was intrigued by the short's synopsis but did HONOR STUDENT deliver a compelling story?

HONOR STUDENT stars Peggy Schott, Elise Gardner and Loraelei Temoney. Aaron B. Koontz directed the film and co-wrote the script with Cassandra Hierholzerfor to tell a story revolving around a middle-aged mom (Schott) who has given up on life and has nothing left to give. that is, until an ordinary day takes a turn for the worse...

Wow, I was completely blown away by this short. It's gritty and raw and, most of all, extremely relatable. I think we've all had moments like what the woman was going through. As the years go by, our lives seem to go on auto-pilot as we do the same things day in and day out, losing ourselves bit by bit as we give in to a mediocre life.

I had expected the plot to go one way, but it snuck up on me abruptly and left me with an "Oh, shit!" look on my face. I absolutely did not see that ending coming at all and just sat there, staring at the screen in shock. It was a subtle yet brilliantly effective culmination.

As far as the blood and gore goes, there's not a lot, but the blood you do see is by plenty for this type of short. It's one of those stories that instantly makes you want to know more about the background of the characters and how everything led up to that point.

Overall, I highly recommend that everyone check out HONOR STUDENT. It has a run time of a little over 9 minutes and will blow your mind. It's definitely one of those films that stands strong as a short but would also benefit greatly by a full feature treatment. I, for one, want to know more about this story.